Kamaiyah

Day N’ Night Festival was one of the dopest things I’ve ever done! I held down the backstage area with REVOLT, and did three days straight of interviewing damn near everyone! Honestly, it was like interview bootcamp and I loved every second!

Check out my chats with Khalid, Vic Mensa, Ant Beale, A Boogie and Zoey Dollaz below, as well as my rounds of ‘This or That’ with both Dave East and Sahbabii!Continue Reading →

After dropping her critically acclaimed debut mixtape, A Good Night In The Ghetto, this spring, Oakland rapper Kamaiyah has been steadily building a name for herself in music. She’s landed on songs with the likes of Drake and YG and has been performing coast to coast, but nothing (yet) was more special than her sold-out show in her hometown just last month.

I had the pleasure of attending alongside my Hot 97 co-worker Scottie Beam, and it was that kind of moment that is exactly why I wanted to work in music. To be able to be there for the journey of an artist that I listen to regularly and see moments from the first mixtape, to the first sold-out show, to eventually touring the world, topping charts and selling out arenas is an amazing thing. Though I knew already, being able to see fans’ reaction to their hometown hero that night confirmed to me once more – Kamaiyah is going to be a superstar.Continue Reading →

I think this may have been my favorite LA trip of all time! Thank you to Luxi for housing us on the first night when our Air BnB wasn’t ready! On day two, we hit Kamaiyah, YG and Drake’s video shoot for “Why You Always Hatin?”. Later, we went to Problem and DJ Quik’s listening party for Rosecrans, then to eat with IAMSU!, and finished the night at Ty Dolla $ign’s studio for his session with Jahaan Sweet.

Day three, we stopped by RJ’s video shoot for one of his O.M.M.I.O. 3 cuts, hit the beach in Santa Monica and finished up at Snoop’s listening session for his new album. Loved getting to see him and meet Warren G!Continue Reading →

Every so often I stumble upon some really dope music, and 21-year-old Oakland rapper Kamaiyah has definitely caught my attention. I’ve been hearing her songs “How Does It Feel,” “Swing My Way” and “I’m On” on fellow Bay native NEF The Pharaoh‘s Snapchat lately and was really feeling them. Unfortunately, I had no idea whose songs they were.

Fast forward to SXSW, I ran into Kamaiyah and her manager Brandon (who I know because he also manages YG,) and I put 2 and 2 together after she handed me a USB with her debut project, A Good Night In The Ghetto. Artists, take note – the USB was in the shape of an old school cell phone, and was by far the most memorable one in the sea of CDs and USBs given to me by musicians during my trip!

A Good Night In The Ghetto is minimal on features, but it does include YG, her Big Money Gang crew and Netta Brielle. Stream the project below!Continue Reading →

Our podcast had a live show at SXSW this year, so I went down a few days early to catch some shows and have some fun! I had the pleasure of seeing Atlantic artist PJ perform a few times as well as NEF The Pharaoh, Tdot iLLdude, Mike Zombie and Chill Moody.

Thank you to Annie at Mass Appeal for taking care of me at the Mass Appeal BBQ (featuring Nas, Dave East, Mannie Fresh, Cipha Sounds, Yo Gotti and many more) and the Mass Appeal Brunch! Shout to Chuck Creekmur, DJ Carisma, DJ Damage, IAMSU!, P-Lo, Kehlani, Kamaiyah, Nineteen85 and everyone else I saw/met/got drunk with, LOL. So glad I got to see the Illmore in its last year! And the FADER Fort was dope too.Continue Reading →